Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Health & Wellness

How to Sneeze-Proof Your Spring

via ABC


by Dr. Asma Khan, HRHCare Urgent Care
With spring in full bloom, it’s time to head outdoors for some sunshine and fresh air. However, for people with allergies, this often isn’t possible without sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes. Whether it’s tree pollen in early spring or grasses and weeds as we move in to summer, it’s important to know what’s causing your allergies and what you can do about them.

What’s Making You Sneeze?

Pollen grains are the tiny cells that are needed to fertilize plants, and it’s likely that they are what’s making you miserable when spring rolls around. These pollen grains, produced by trees, grasses, and weeds, are very small and very light. They are designed to travel on the wind up to 100 miles from their original source. Different people are sensitive to different kinds of pollen, but it’s not a surprise that hay fever or spring allergies typically flare up on windy days.

How to Minimize Your Symptoms

  • Reduce your pollen exposure. Staying indoors between 10a and 4p when pollen counts are generally higher can help. Try running errands or exercising outside in the early morning or late afternoon, and remove your shoes before going inside so you don’t track in pollen.
  • Eat the right foods. Powerful antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and green tea help battle inflammation from inside your body. Try eating foods rich in omega-3s as well, such as fish, tofu, and spinach.
  • Reduce stress. Every time you feel stressed, your body releases stress hormones that send signals to different parts of your body to prepare for action. If you don’t physically release the stress, it can affect the safeguard of your health, the immune system. A weakened immune system means a higher chance of allergic reactions.
  • Spring-cleaning. Fabric-covered furniture and pillows can all contribute to allergies. Do a top-to-bottom inspection of your house to clean out spots where allergens can congregate, such as bedding, rugs and carpeting, damp spots, and mold in the bathroom and kitchen. It’s also important to keep your air conditioning and furnace filters fresh.
  • Avoid dust mites. Using mite-proof impermeable mattresses and pillow covers can be an effective way to reduce symptoms.
  • Shower before bed. Washing your hair and skin before bed removes pollen and reduces overnight irritation. Also remember to thoroughly wash your pets after they’ve been outside during the day–particularly if they sleep in the bedroom,

Spring Allergies: What You Need to Know

Treatment for allergies should always be based on the severity of your symptoms, and can differ from person to person. Education on your condition is key so you can avoid known allergens.
The most effective treatment are intranasal corticosteroids (nasal sprays), and should be the first-line therapy for persistent symptoms. Severe allergies that do not respond to intranasal corticosteroids should be treated with antihistamines, decongestants, or other treatments such as cromolyn, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or nonpharmacological therapies such as nasal irrigation.

Asma Khan, MD, is the Clinical Director at HRHCare Urgent Care, 84 N Highland Ave between High Street and Sickles Ave in Nyack. Along with offices in Haverstraw and Spring Valley, the facility is part of the 28 health center HRHCare network in the Hudson Valley and Long Island providing comprehensive primary care.

See also:

 


Nyack Farmer's Market


You May Also Like

The Villages

This week in the Villages we look at the rumor-filled and then abrupt ending of Starbucks in Nyack and what it means.

The Villages

This week in the Villages, we look delve into all the empty storefronts downtown and look back at St. Patrick's Day festivities through the...

The Villages

This week in the Villages, we look at Nyack's school board, which is expected to go into a special executive session Friday night after...

Advertisement